The advice from AMDEA comes amid the ongoing cost of living crisis, and with a typical dual-fuel household bill set to be just under £2,000 for the next three months.

As the clocks go back and nights draw in, AMDEA’s award-winning Know Watt’s What campaign is explaining how people are short-changing themselves by hundreds of pounds by sticking to old domestic routines.

By adopting small changes in their habits, however, householders can save money while also fulfilling their aspiration to contribute to net zero and reduce their carbon footprint.

For example, £80 can be saved each year by always washing clothes and dishes on the eco-cycle, while £60 can be saved by cooking food in the microwave rather than the oven.

Taken together, this conserves almost enough electricity to power a washing machine on eco-mode for two whole years. Other small maintenance tasks, such as descaling the kettle, can help maintain efficiency and extend appliance lifespan.

A new YouGov survey underlined that people are keen to save energy to help achieve net xero and reduce their carbon footprint, with more than two thirds (68%) saying they would this even if energy prices went down.

However, the survey found that two fifths (40%) had made no changes to the way they used their appliances to save money since September last year, when electricity prices hit an all-time high.

Even though adopting ways to save money and energy in the use of home appliances was found to be successful, according to 57% who did make changes. Only 53% of respondents who made changes over the past year had used the eco-setting on their washing machine, and 32% on their dishwasher.

As regards a little TLC to keep their appliances ticking over efficiently, 24% of UK adults said they never ran a service wash on their washing machine, 18% never cleaned its filter, 20% never descaled their appliances that come into contact with water and 17% never defrosted the fridge and cleaned the door seals.

The new campaign from AMDEA follows the recommendations of an in-home study conducted in seven homes over three months by the UKRI CE-Hub, University of Exeter Business School.

The study found that explaining why behaviour changes resulted in savings prompted participants to adopt an average of 22 distinct habits once they understood why the changes made a difference.

AMDEA’s Know Watt’s What website advocates four routes to save money:

• Use to save – use installed tech, such as eco-mode on washing appliances or smaller cooking appliances such as microwaves to cook smaller quantities.
• Maintain to save – look after machines to prolong efficient performance and lifespan.
• Repair to save – consider repairs before replacement.
• Replace to save – replace wisely by buying appliances that are the highest affordable on the rating scale and consider replacing fridges and freezers over 15 years old.

Professor Fiona Charnley, Professor of Circular Innovation and Co-Director, Exeter Centre for the Circular Economy, University of Exeter, said: “Our research shows that people often stick to the same behaviours and are unclear of how they can make a difference.

“The study gave participants the chance to learn about small changes they can make to their daily routines and the impact they can have on extending the life of their appliances and reducing their household bills. We found that once they were provided with the evidence, they were quick to change their behaviour.”

AMDEA CEO, Paul Hide, added: “Many people don’t really treat their appliances as they might. Once fitted, the appliances are often forgotten about, regarded as self-supporting. But they are machines that benefit from small acts of care. So, by thinking about how appliances are used and giving them a little attention, households can save themselves money by using less energy and extending the lifespan of valuable assets.

“Why not stick a note on a washing machine to always use eco-mode or have a quarterly descale schedule? These are not grand life changes: a minimal effort can save a lot – and help the environment.”

Possible cash savings include:

• £600 on replacement appliances by cleaning lime-scale from washing and coffee machines, kettles and irons
  • Limescale builds up on heating elements, reduces efficiency, and, ultimately the appliance’s lifespan 
• £100s with prompt repairs
  • Pay heed to your appliances – ignoring a knock or a rattle from your machine can develop into a bigger more costly problem 
• £100 in running a heat pump dryer instead of a condenser tumbler
  • Heat pump technology can reduce drying costs by a third or more 
• £40 by choosing ‘C’ over ‘F’ rating when replacing a fridge
  • Fridges with higher ratings use less electricity every year of their lives 
• £70 a year replacing a 15-year-old fridge freezer
  • Modern fridges are far more energy efficient than old ones 

Further useful information on AMDEA’s Know Watt’s What includes:

• Why eco cycles are able to use less energy than other washing cycles.
• Why heat pump tumble dryers are the most energy efficient.
• An easy-to-use directory of genuine spares and expert repairs for over 60 leading brands .
• A savings calculator to help those buying new appliances to evaluate the savings attainable by buying best in class.

Please see below for the assets to support the campaign:

International E-Waste Day (IEWD) is just around the corner, on October 14. This day is a key moment to raise awareness of how electrical waste is the fastest growing source of waste in the world, and in the UK.

Use these IEWD resources and help inspire action to reduce our e-waste footprint. The toolkit includes:

• Social media assets, to raise awareness of the issue to your friends, family, colleagues, customers or community.
• Newsletter templates to encourage your colleagues or customers to take action.
• A step-by-step guide for setting up your own electrical recycling collection at work.

Organised by AMDEA (Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Appliances), the UK trade association for manufacturers of small and large domestic appliances, the event (Thursday September 21), which is now in its third year and was supported by City, University of London and the OPSS (Office for Product Safety and Standards), saw guest speakers from manufacturing, retail, regulation and policy focus on the next steps for achieving a sustainable home appliance industry, as we move towards a net-zero future.

The one-day conference took place at the Oliver Thompson Lecture Theatre, in the Tait Building, Northampton Square, City, University of London.

Sessions were split into three plenary sessions ‘How Are Manufacturers Advancing on the Road to Net Zero?’; ‘How Are We Supporting Sustainable Householder Choices?’, and ‘How Will Regulation Enable the Delivery of Net Zero?’

Each session comprised a keynote speech and a panel discussion, with the chance for delegates to ask questions.

The conference was chaired by broadcaster and technology expert, Maggie Philbin OBE.

Kevin Hollinrake MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Enterprise, Markets and Small Business, gave an opening keynote address via video. In his speech, Mr Hollinrake said achieving net zero targets and ambitions would impact on every aspect of our lives – home, work and play – and would have implications for the lifecycle and the safety of the products we use, including how we operate, produce, dispose of and recycle them.

He said the OPSS, which is currently undertaking a Product Safety Review on regulatory framework to make sure it is fit for now, as well as for the changing landscape ahead of us, has a key role to play.

“Now that the UK has left the EU, we have a unique opportunity to design and implement a framework that works better for us, using our new-found agility to forge our own path, delivering a regulatory framework that prioritises the needs of UK consumers and reduces the burden on business,” said Mr Hollinrake.

Ahead of the manufacturer-led panel discussion, AMDEA CEO, Paul Hide, gave a keynote presentation in which he explained how AMDEA is supporting its members to deliver a more sustainable future for the home appliance sector, but also helping to provide more sustainable choices for householders when purchasing appliances.

Said Mr Hide: “There’s no doubt that appliances have a big role to play in supporting the achievement of net zero homes. Estimates suggest that within the 29 million UK homes, there are at least 130 million large appliances and over 300 million small appliances.

“More than 98% of UK homes have at least one large appliance and annual UK sales of this industry exceed 12 million large appliances and 50 million small appliances. This equates to a UK market worth close to £8 billion a year at retail and supports many thousands of UK jobs.”

Mr Hide said AMDEA’s responsibility is to ensure there is a net zero action plan across the full supply chain – from sustainable raw materials and sourcing precious minerals to carbon-and water-neutral manufacturing, net zero delivery to the customer’s home, net zero impact in use and full recyclability and material recovery at the end of an appliance’s maximum useful life.

“That’s a true circular economy,” he said.

Speaking as part of the manufacturer panel session, which included senior representatives from Beko UK, BSH Home Appliances,  Haier Europe and Miele UK, Teresa Arbuckle, who is AMDEA chair and managing director of Beko UK & Ireland, said she is pleased that energy efficiency is high on appliance manufacturers’ agendas and in their marketing.

Citing the IFA 2023 trade show in Berlin (September 1-5) as a good example of how eco messaging is everywhere, she said: “This year it was energy efficiency to the max – every single manufacturer was showing off recycled materials in their products.

“It made me so happy because it says that we all as manufacturers – and human beings – are realising that we have to do something, and that we have to contribute to some part of net zero to get there.”

Also at this year’s 2050: Appliances of the Future conference, City, University of London announced that AMDEA is sponsoring PhD research into the self-engineering of smart appliances using AR/ VR.

Delegates had an opportunity to visit City University’s AR/VR suite and see manufacturers’ product demonstrations in a showcase area.

Commenting on the conference, AMDEA’s Mr Hide said: “There is no other UK event that brings together such a wide range of stakeholders and it allows us to pause and reflect on our joint progress in delivering net zero homes, to consider how far we’ve come in the past 12 months, and to discuss the priorities and milestones – both near-term and on the pathway to 2050.”

Please note: a full report from the 2050: Appliances of the Future – The Road to Net Zero conference will be available later this year.

A recent news story in The Guardian, based on the latest findings by market research firm Kantar, highlighted how almost one main meal a week is now cooked primarily with a microwave in the UK.

Kantar found usage rose 8% compared with last year.

Cheaper, easier meals – from warming canned soup, pasta or frozen vegetables to “nuking” a ready meal – are replacing baking or roasting using an oven or dialling up a takeaway, analysts at Kantar said.

It estimates 100m more meals are now cooked using a microwave compared with 2019.

Britons bought 5.4% more microwaves in the first three months of this year than in the same period a year ago, according to market analysts GfK.

Nathan Ward, the business unit director at Kantar, said: “With household budgets being squeezed, people are looking to save however they can, including through cooking. Energy prices have been rising quickly and it seems many have turned to microwaves as a cheaper alternative to hobs or ovens.

“In particular, we’re seeing a growth in people microwaving their veg, as they look to consume their five a day on a budget. There’s also been an increase in people opting to eat cheaper, easier meals such as soups and canned pasta, saving money by heating them in the microwave rather than on the hob.”

According to research carried out on behalf of Recycle Your Electricals, millions of fad kitchen gadgets, from air fryers to bread makers, blenders to chocolate fountains, juicers to popcorn machines, are gathering dust in UK cupboards.

Ninety two percent of UK households own ‘FadTech’ – with an average of four items per home  – but nearly half of households say their once-trendy items are now rarely or never used.

The top five most likely items to be gathering dust are: ice cream makers, chocolate fountains, hostess trolleys, popcorn machines and bread makers. The number of unused bread makers in UK cupboards would stretch from London to Paris and halfway back again.

In addition, there are an estimated 2.4 million unused blenders taking up space in cupboards.

Recycle Your Electricals is on a mission to get Brits to fish out their FadTech and donate or recycle them to allow the valuable materials in them to be reused as something even more useful.

For example, the estimated 2.4 million blenders gathering dust across the UK could be recycled into 2.1 million defibrillators, according to the study.

Scott Butler, executive director of the Recycle Your Electricals campaign, said: “We’ve all fallen for the latest FadTech – including me – and sometimes they become kitchen staples. But, often, after taking up counter space they’re consigned to a cupboard.

“They’re not cheap, so it can feel wasteful to clear them out but they can be recycled into something really useful or donated if they’re still in good condition. If you have FadTech to recycle, the easiest thing to do is visit our postcode locator to find your nearest drop-off point.”

Actor and presenter, Joanna Page, has a stash of FadTech, thanks to her children. She is backing the campaign, and said: “I’ve got children, so we get these items thinking they’ll be fun and they are at first. But then you don’t use them more than once a year and they just end up taking up space in your cupboard.

“I’ve got two waffle makers, I don’t even know why I need two. They’re not cheap, so it can be hard to part with them, but it’s great to hear they can be recycled and free up some all-important cupboard space.”

TV presenter and host of The Gadget Show, Ortis Deley, who helped put together the picture of how and why Britain’s FadTech stash built up, commented: “As a gadget fan myself, I know it can be tempting to want to join the trend but as with any fashion, these things usually always move on or improve, so it’s worth thinking about whether you will really use something before you buy it and if you find you don’t use it any more, recycling it to give it a new lease of life.”

In addition to a FadTech stash, nearly one in five British households have multiple items of staple kitchen items – kettles, toasters and microwaves.

Across UK homes, there are 6.5 million kettles, 3.4 million microwaves and 3.6 million toasters that are either broken or spare.

These could also be recycled into something really useful by visiting www.recycleyourelectricals.org.uk.

He scooped the Contribution To The Industry accolade at this year’s Innovative Electrical Retailing (IER) Awards ceremony, which was held at the Park Plaza London Riverbank hotel (June 16).

The award was presented to Mr Hide by AMDEA Chair and Beko UK MD, Teresa Arbuckle, and Retra CEO Howard Saycell.

Mr Hide, who has been in his role at AMDEA for three and a half years, previously worked as Director of Marketing and Membership at techUK and, before that, for consumer electronics brands, including Sharp and Sony.

In his time at AMDEA, he can lay claim to a host of achievements. He has overseen a growth in membership, and spearheaded improved engagement with both Westminster and Whitehall, channel partners, the media, academic communities and conferences, while also enhancing research activity and charity work.

Under his leadership, AMDEA launched the award-winning and ground-breaking Know Watt’s What campaign, aimed at educating and empowering consumers to make properly-informed decisions about energy-efficient appliances.

On receiving the award, Mr Hide said: “I am so grateful to have been given this honour. It means a great deal to me. Appliances are vital to everyone in helping them go about their daily lives and I take huge pride in representing the industry through the auspices of AMDEA.

“We’ve achieved a lot in the last few years at AMDEA but we’re not going to be resting on our laurels – we’ve plenty more excellent work in the pipeline.”

Teresa Arbuckle, Chair of AMDEA, commented: “Paul has had a distinguished career in the consumer electronics and home appliance industries, ensuring that British customers and consumers receive the highest quality products and services over the years.”

She added: “I am most thankful to Paul for his strong leadership in taking over as CEO of AMDEA in 2019. He has not only strengthened the leadership team at AMDEA, but also worked on consumer campaigns which promote the benefits of domestic appliances, winning a trade PR award for Know Watt’s What last year, in addition to supporting the Register My Appliance campaign, which is now in its eighth year.

“He has strengthened relations with APPLiA, while improving government and retailer collaborations, as evidenced with last month’s Houses of Parliament event on sustainability. We wish Paul continued success in delivering achievements for AMDEA many years into the future.”

Pictured (left to right): IER Awards host and comedian Mark Watson; Teresa Arbuckle, AMDEA Chair and Beko UK MD; Paul Hide, CEO, AMDEA, and Howard Saycell, CEO of Retra.

The event is aimed at specifiers of heat, water, air and energy technology.

Mr Hide’s presentation will focus on AMDEA’s award-winning Know Watt’s What campaign, which is designed to help cash-strapped consumers use less energy with their home appliances.

He will also highlight AMDEA’s recent Parliamentary Reception, at which it urged the Government to encourage consumers to choose energy efficient appliances or consider repairs, ensuring households can reap the crucial savings that efficient home appliances can offer, and to help the nation to achieve net zero.

This year’s InstallerShow will see more than 400 exhibitors welcoming 15,000 industry professionals. The 2023 exhibition will feature an expanded offering for visitors to reflect the growing trend for net zero solutions.

One key area of this year’s show is the BMA Bathroom Zone. Serving as a hub for brands and bathroom installers alike, the zone will feature a packed three-day programme with presentations, panel debates and high-profile interviews.

Register for a free ticket to the show here.

For more information, visit https://www.installershow.com/

The piece, which appeared this month, ahead of AMDEA’s Parliamentary Reception, (May 24) at which it called on the Government to encourage consumers to use energy efficient home appliances, focused on how microwave ovens could have an important role to play in net zero homes and easing the cost of living crisis.

At a time when families are cash-strapped and time-stretched, the microwave is due a renaissance, suggested the article.

Speaking to Serina Sandhu, senior reporter at the i, Mr Hide said: “Microwave ovens have been a staple of UK kitchens for more than 40 years. Particularly with the current focus on energy bills, UK consumers hold these energy efficient and versatile cooking appliances in high regard, purchasing some three million every year. These appliances are not only capable of cooking nutritious and tasty meals, they can save you money too.”

The AMDEA-organised event called on the Government to support households in becoming net zero through making smarter choices about all their kitchen appliances, not just microwaves.

Jennipher Marshall-Jenkinson, chair of the UK Microwave Technologies Association, told the i: “I can honestly say to you that microwaves are the safest, the most convenient, the most nutritious and energy efficient way to cook food in this 21st century,” adding that she hopes to give everybody “peace of mind” about using microwaves to cook meals.

She added: “There is no need to have saucepans anymore but getting people to move away from their habits of a lifetime is very difficult.”

To read the article, click here.

Chief executive, Paul Hide, highlights the examples of other European nations promoting sustainability by offering reduced VAT on repairs, and encouraging those homes needing to replace with cash grants towards best in class, high-efficiency models.

In the drive to promote a circular economy and extended life, AMDEA is launching a unique ‘Repairs and Spares’ portal as an addition to its award-winning Know Watt’s What energy-saving campaign.

The portal offers householders instant access to genuine spare parts, expert repairs and advice from 68 of the UK’s leading appliance brands. A new ‘Enduring Care’ section highlights maintenance tips for each appliance category to help homes secure best performance for longer.

Mr Hide said: “Right now, everyone is receptive to ways of reducing household costs. Promoting home savings by making the most of installed technology is pushing at an open door. The industry is also putting its weight behind encouraging cost effective repairs that extend appliance lifespans. But when homes need to replace appliances many require help to look beyond the price tag to long term choices for themselves and the environment. The Government must step up now, while there is an appetite for change, to add some meaningful financial incentives.”

If everyone who replaced a washing machine, fridge-freezer or tumble dryer in the last year had bought one of the most energy efficient models, a potential 755m kWh of electricity would have been saved. This is the equivalent of the electricity produced by 125 wind turbines, enough to power every home in a city the size of Cardiff, or a London borough as big as Barnet.

AMDEA called on the Government at a Parliamentary Reception –  Appliances and the drive to net zero homes. To underpin effective action on good appliance usage, AMDEA also revealed the results of an in-home study by behavioural scientists at the University of Exeter Circular Economy Hub, on whether consumer education can help cut costs and conserve resources.

France has recently introduced anti-waste grants of up to €45 on repairs carried out by accredited professionals. In Sweden, tax breaks are offered for repairs – 12% VAT rather than the usual 25%. In Spain, regional governments (Madrid and Galicia) are incentivising with grants for the purchase of more efficient appliances.

The new publication, Safer and Smarter Home: Benefits and Myths, which builds on the first guide, Your Guide to a Safer, Smarter Home, highlights to consumers examples of the benefits of smart home devices and dispels some common myths that consumers may have.

It was produced and published by The Smart Technology Product Safety Stakeholder Group, which was established by Electrical Safety First and DLA Piper in March 2019 to discuss topics that are relevant to product safety in the IoT or smart technology sector and to develop and promote industry best practice.

It is a multi-lateral group comprising a broad range of businesses and organisations operating in the smart home space at all points in the supply chain.

“Many people would welcome the benefits from making their home ‘smarter’ but there is so much misinformation about smart products and how to get them installed correctly”, said Martyn Allen, technical director at Electrical Safety First and co-chair of the group.

“This new guide provides information and guidance, and busts a few of the common myths that may exist when buying and using smart home devices. This ultimately will help consumers in the UK make better and more confident decisions when planning their smart home.”

Mark Dewar, partner at DLA Piper and chair of the group’s downstream sub-group, commented: “The smart home environment is becoming ever increasingly prevalent to the point of becoming the norm for everyday domestic devices and installations are becoming more complex.

“Whilst the first guide focused on plug and play smart devices used in the home, this guide covers smart and connected devices or systems that often need a qualified installer to design, build and to set it up properly.”

The guide is free to download from the AMDEA website here. It is published by the Smart Technology Product Safety Stakeholder Group, whose members include Amazon.com, AMDEA, Beko, CEDIA, Currys, DLA Piper, Electrical Safety First and John Lewis Partnership.